


So am I

by HikariYumi



Series: Touching the sky [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Adorable Connor, Alternate Universe - Human, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Hank Being Awesome, Hank Is A Good Father, Hank adopted Connor, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Connor, Kid Fic, Orphan connor, socially awkward Connor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 07:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14930171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikariYumi/pseuds/HikariYumi
Summary: Connor and Hank slowly got used to each other but now the boy is faced with a new problem: Markus is trying to become his friend.





	So am I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> So... um...
> 
> I’ll use this as a way to say thank you to all those comments I’ve received since yesterday in the first part of this fanfic. This is without doubt the most liked fanfiction comment-wise. Seriously it blew me away how sweet you all were. Thank you a lot!
> 
> And since people wanted a sequel... I couldn’t resist... I hope you’ll like this one as well even though I’m not sure if the style is the same.  
> I just hope for the best.
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> ~Hikari 
> 
> P.S. this work isn’t beta-read and I’m not a native speaker. I’m giving my best though :)

So am I

"Markus Manfred asked me to sit with him and his friends at lunch today."

Hank paused his motion mid-way which led to his fry falling inelegantly back down onto his plate. Leave it to Connor to make the prospect of gaining a friend sound like a punishment.  
"Well, did you?"

The boy shuffled around on his chair, an obvious sign of his unease. It's been a year since the twelve year old had moved into Hanks home and he'd finally come around to display his feelings a bit more. 

"I told him I wasn't hungry."  
Hank sighed inwardly at the realisation that Connor had bolted from his first opportunity to be included in his class.   
"Don't you like Markus?"

At that the kid looked down at his food, forehead crinkling in concentration. He was awfully analytical sometimes, rarely deciding things with his emotions and rather with his sense of logic. It worried Hank a bit, especially when he thought about where this social problems and everything else was originating from.

"He seems... nice. But he's very determined and I... I don't think it would be good to become involved with him." Connor concluded eventually.  
After spending a lot time with his son, Hank had started to understand some of the thoughts that stood behind the boy’s words. He'd also heard a fair bit about Markus, the adopted son of the popular painters Carl Manfreds.

Markus seemed to be a rather sensible and soft person, caring more for his recently paralysed father than his biological son himself. Carl had made a point to raise the boy to be a strong but fair individual, aware that he had rights and to fight for them, but never do harm. From what Hank had heard Markus sounded like a real inspiration.  
On the other hand, Connor had apparently been raised to fit in by going along with what other people wanted him to do. It was only natural that he would be wary of getting associated with Markus.

The kid might've made progress in the past months, but Hank could still only guess the extent of the impact his early life under his mother had left him with. After all, Connor rarely gave any hints about that and the lieutenant had decided not to press the issue too much.

"I see what you mean. But if you change your mind, I can assure you that I don't think Markus would get you into trouble. He's a good kid."  
Connors brown eyes were uncertain and a bit dejected when they met Hanks gaze on him.  
"Yes. But I've never had a friend, I wasn't supposed- I mean, they do distract from the important tasks."

It was only through comments like this, that the man caught a glimpse into the upbringing the kid had lived through, and they didn't paint a nice picture at all. In short it all led up to teaching Connor to walk among others without being particularly liked or disliked, no friends, nothing other than focusing on studies. A bit like a little soldier, a good boy.  
Hank shuddered at the thought, he would very much like to have a word with the kid’s so-called mother but unfortunately, or fortunately really, that wasn't possible anymore.

"In my opinion finding friends you can count on is also one of those important tasks, son."  
Hank returned to his dinner, secretly watching how Connor’s eyes brightened at his words, just as they always did when the man showed his affection, before dropping the topic as well.

~ 

"Hey Connor, how was your day?"  
Hank asked, putting his car into reverse and leaving the school parking lot before the boy had even managed to close his seatbelt.  
"Without specific incidents.”

This was Connor’s standard answer to this question. Hank remembered vividly how he had to hold back a snort the first time he had received it.

“No news are good news, right?” He joked lightly and gave his son a quick once over out of the corner of his eye. Satisfied with what he found, or the distress he didn’t found to be more precise, Hank turned his concentration back to the traffic.

“I’ve been called in today, so I’ve to return to the station now, it might get late today. Do you want to come with me or should I bring you home first?”

Hank could really consider himself lucky that the kid was incredibly mature for his age. After all, his job demanded him to come in sometimes in the middle of the night and he couldn’t at least bring Connor with him to crime scenes. So they’ve established a few rules early on for cases when the boy was home alone, and so far it had never turned out to be a reason for worry.

Sometimes when someone needed to switch shifts without any gruesome crimes happening, Hank even brought Connor to the station to do his homework. Neither of these situations had ever been regretted, the opposite really.

“I don’t mind to come with you.”  
So that was settled.

~

Upon arriving at the station, Hank checked in and Connor was met with a friendly nod at the entrance.   
The lieutenant had been gone only for a short while, just long enough to fetch his kid, so that his desk was still hidden under open files and folders he had been working through.

While he returned to his work, Connor quietly seated himself at the empty desk across from his father’s. It was his usual spot, he’d used it often enough that a few jokingly referred to it as Connor’s already.  
The boy nodded his greeting to Hanks passing colleagues before pulling out his books and starting his homework.

Luckily Connor was widely accepted in the station, which was an important factor for Hank. Not only wouldn’t he let the kid be exposed to people who didn’t like him if he didn’t have to, it also made the whole business way easier for everyone involved.

“Brought your kid to work again? You are aware that this is not a kindergarten, right lieutenant?”

And when Hank said ‘widely accepted’ it more or less meant everyone except Gavin Reed.  
He wasn’t sure why, but since his first ever visit Connor seemed to have rubbed the man the wrong way. Maybe it was because Reed didn’t like Hank either and was extending that sentiment to his son on principle, but he didn’t actually care enough to ask.  
As most of the colleagues he tended to ignore the young man if he couldn’t help it.

“Aren’t you busy right now? I’ve heard your case still isn’t wrapped up. Do you really have time for chit chat?”  
Gavin pulled a face that showed how hard he was grinding his teeth together and left without another word. It was common knowledge that the ambitious man couldn’t stand to not succeed.

Hank shook his head and continued writing his current report.

~

“Lieutenant? We need you at a scene.”  
Hank groaned and sunk back into his chair. Immediately he felt Connors intense eyes on himself, regarding him with interest.  
“Lieutenant?”

“Yeah yeah, coming” he called back before addressing the boy at the other table.  
“Okay, looks like I can’t bring you home first. Are you okay here for a couple of hours? I’m sure they’ll let you watch TV in the break room when you’re finished.”

Connor nodded, appearing not really put off by the prospect of staying longer. Once again Hank was relieved that the boy rarely made a fuss. Unlike other kids, Connor seldom ever needed to be entertained, most of the time he was content just to observe the people around him.

“Oh and Connor” he looked sternly into the young boys eyes “stay away from the documents.”

As well-behaved and easy to care for the kid was, Connor also was incredibly curious. Hank tended to forget it in inconvenient moments.  
Early on he’d found Connor intensely reading a case file he had left on his desk while getting coffee and had been forced to scold the boy for that.

Naturally Connor had apologised politely but then continued to ask why they hadn’t searched for a second culprit in the victims house.  
Hank wasn’t able to get over the fact that this was the last piece of the puzzle that made the team wrap up the case.   
Since then he’d let the boy look over a few things every now and then, paying close attention to only present those ones which were not quite as inappropriate for the young eyes. Until now, there still had to come a day when Hank didn’t receive a good idea from his son.

“Of course.”  
Anyway, Connor was only allowed to snoop when at least Hank was there for supervision and if the boss was out of sight. And until now he’s never broken his promise.

“Good, I’ll be back soon.”  
The man stood and ruffled Connors hair affectionately in a way of a good bye.  
“Be safe, Hank.”

The lieutenant left the station in a good mood.

~

It was already dark outside when Hank returned to his station, feeling many years older than he actually was.   
Shaking off the lingering pictures of the crime scene he entered and quickly searched the open office space for Connor.

He found the kid, upper body lying on the table top, apparently fallen asleep over some piece of paper.  
Hank smiled gently and made a step back to take a photo with his phone. Over the past year he’d started to do that whenever he fell asleep somewhere. He had tried to take some during day time as well, but awake-Conner was awfully stiff and uncomfortable whenever a camera came approached him.

This was an adorable compromise in Hanks opinion, one that was also quite fruitful. He glanced over to his own desk where next to his slightly outdated music player set two framed pictures.

One of them was a photo he’d been hiding away for years because Hank couldn’t bear to look at it. But now Cole was sitting smiling next to his computer screen and he even got company. The other photo was actually the first one of the series of sleeping Connors.  
It showed the little boy on the living room sofa using Sumo as a pillow. The big dog himself seemed to enjoy the cuddles from his new best friend and had also fallen asleep.

Hank remembered the time he took Connor to the station for the first time after he’d framed the photo. The boy stood in awe, stunned and unbelieving that Hank had put him on display next to his ‘real’ son. An honest sign that Connor as well was his kid.  
Hank even thought that there might’ve been tears in the boys eyes.

“Hey, Connor. Wake up, we’re leaving.”  
Sleepy brown eyes blinked up at him blearily for a second, before clearing rapidly as the boy sprung alert. It never took him long to wake up, as if he was never really asleep.

“Okay.”  
Connor quickly packed his books and the sheet of paper back into his bag and declared himself ready to go.  
On the way to the car he cleared his throat and declared: “I’ve thought about what you told me earlier. And I think I would like to sit with Markus and the others tomorrow. If they will still allow me to.”  
Connor swallowed hard.  
“I think, I would like to be his friend.”

Hank felt a lot like smiling and hugging his son for this display of courage. But they weren’t quite at this point yet.

“That sounds like a good idea.”   
And then because deep down Hank was not as rough as he pretended to be:  
“I’m proud of you, son.”


End file.
